Kootenai County man donates $10K to SCSO

WALLACE –– In the wake of several concerning meetings surrounding budgetary issues, a silver lining has appeared for the Shoshone County Sheriff’s Office.  

On Tuesday, a Kootenai County man decided to donate $10,000 to the small department, earmarked specifically for their K-9 unit.  

Russ McLain recently moved his mother into an assisted living facility after years as a resident of the city of Wallace and after spending some time in the community, McLain decided that he wanted to give back to a department that he believed has served her well.  

“My mom’s been living out there, safe and comfortable, for almost 30 years,” McLain said. “I met the sheriff, she’s wonderful. People are lucky to have her.”  

McLain was talking about Shoshone County Sheriff Holly Lindsey, who was humbled by the generosity of a man that she only briefly had encountered, but both left a lasting impression on one another.  

McLain went on to liken Sheriff Lindsey’s approach to law enforcement to that of former Kootenai County Sheriff Ben Wolfinger – who remains popular with his constituents even in retirement.  

“She’s smooth and cool, polite and respectful,” McLain said. “She’s like a Wolfinger, he had style and was nobody’s baby. The sheriff and her undersheriff took the time to meet with me, they’re both good people and I wish them the best.”  

McLain explained his decision to donate to the K-9 unit specifically and discussed how much he appreciates the efforts made by the canine deputies and their handlers when they are called to action.  

“I like how the dogs are an unconditional service,” McLain said. “It doesn’t matter if it’s for sniffing out drugs or finding missing kids or lost backcountry skiers. They’re out there helping somebody.”  

When asked about their meeting, Lindsey immediately recalled a recent encounter with a man who had been complimentary of the work being done by her and the rest of her deputies. 

“It was interesting, I met him (McLain) in the lobby and he asked if I was the sheriff,” Lindsey recalled. “When I said yes, he told me that he thought we were doing a really good job and listed off all of the things he appreciated about our department.”  

After receiving the check – which was entirely unexpected – Lindsey couldn’t help but get emotional discussing how good it felt to know that the work her department is doing was being noticed.   

“It made me feel like all we’re doing and all the stress that comes with it is worth it,” Lindsey said. “Because if people from outside of our community can see it, I’m confident that people in our community are seeing it.”  

“He told me that what we have here is special and that we need to do whatever we have to to protect it,” Undersheriff Lance Stutzke said as he recalled his discussion with McLain.  

The timing of McLain’s donation couldn’t be better. Longtime SCSO K-9 Deputy Lulu will be retiring soon and according to Lindsey, the $10,000 will cover the cost of a new dog.  

The SCSO is working with the clerk’s office to open a special trust account allowing them to take in specifically earmarked funds, including donations and grants.   

 “I know their budget is tight and I wanted to help them in some way,” McLain said. “You can’t take all and give nothing back – we’re not pirates.”